First, let me say I'm a believer; baptized a Presbyterian in Baird, Texas about the age of 14, but I'm currently a member of a Methodist Church in Abilene, Texas. I found God through faith in the Bible, faith in my Brother and Sisters in Christ, faith in the works and miracles of other believers, and faith that there must be some master that created a structured, organized and ordered Universe. Yet, of all the billions of people that have lived, God has only made himself known in his natural state to only a handful of prophets and holy men like Moses. I believe Jesus was God in human form, and he made himself known to his Apostles and the masses during his days on earth.
I have often wonder why God does not manifest himself more often to us. God is the creator of heaven, earth, and the universe. God is the granter of all life. God is all powerful. Why then is it than people must come to God through faith? Why doesn't God come down to earth and slap the unbelievers silly? Why doesn't God manifest himself by broadcasting around the world his laws, wishes, and love of his creations? Why doesn't God have a place on earth in which he dwells, where he can make himself better known to us, rather than requiring that we accept him by faith? Certainly an all powerful God could do more works personally, rather than doing works through others people. If god manifest himself on earth and became more personally involved in his works, then all people would believe and know that God is God, and there would be no need for doubt, acceptance of God by faith, or need to complete God's works through other people. Regards, LelandJ Stephen Russell wrote: > On Mon, Mar 31, 2008 at 5:16 PM, Charlie Coleman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > >> At 01:10 PM 3/28/2008 -0300, Helio W. wrote: >> >>> He doesn't indicate other sources, documents, etc. He just mention Jesus, >>> respectfully like any evangelist would do. >>> Probably his "citation" of Jesus is an interpolation. >>> >> Josephus was actually a fairly strong source in regards to historical >> facts >> (in areas of Jewish and Roman history). Pretty much the primary criticism >> of him is how he treated certain topics: it appeared he altered the "tone" >> of relating events to gain favor with the Romans. >> >> >>> Why there's no historical evidence, from different sources, of Jesus' >>> >> life >> >>> at the time he was persecuted and killed? All there is what was written >>> 60-70 years later, suspiciously from the same time when Paul started his >>> preaching - biblical sources. >>> >> There are extra-Biblical sources. I previously mentioned a few. >> >> Paul did not start 60-70 years later. He started his teaching/travelling >> just a few years after Jesus's death (which was 30AD). Paul's letters were >> mainly to churches he helped establish earlier on. So, naturally, those >> would be maybe a decade or more after he first started. I think the >> earliest manuscript of Paul's writings is from around 45-50 AD. And some >> of >> the copies of other letters are dated back to 60-70 (so the originals of >> those were written earlier). >> >> Another reason given as to why it took even 20 years for the apostles to >> begin writing is this: most of them were thinking Christ's return was >> imminent - as in tomorrow (not the first time they've been a little off). >> So they didn't feel they had to write it down (they were pretty busy >> travelling and spreading the Gospel). And there wasn't really any external >> pressure to have it written because, just like to day, an eyewitness is >> the >> best and most reliable source of information. >> >> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Jesus was with them for a month + after his death till Pentecost. Why > wouldn't he return in a couple of weeks? > > Paul's letters were written in the mid 50's to 60. > < > http://www.biblediagrams.com/diagrams/images%201280x1024/new-testament-paul-the-mind-of-the-apostle.htm> > > > Why did it take long to start writing? I think it was the shock of loosing > Christ and then enacting what their task was. Acts goes into good details > for a historical perspective. The start of communism and the struggles > between Paul and Peter. What constituted an "Apostle" and who was allowed > to believe in Christ. Oh the early years and starting a new organization, > the joy, the politics, the martyrdom. > > > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- _______________________________________________ Post Messages to: [email protected] Subscription Maintenance: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profox OT-free version of this list: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profoxtech Searchable Archive: http://leafe.com/archives/search/profox This message: http://leafe.com/archives/byMID/profox/[EMAIL PROTECTED] ** All postings, unless explicitly stated otherwise, are the opinions of the author, and do not constitute legal or medical advice. This statement is added to the messages for those lawyers who are too stupid to see the obvious.
